Automatic stoker for coal burners



Jan. 28, 1936.y T. GOWER 2,028,977

AUTMATIC STOKER FOR COAL BURNERS Fiied July 2, 1935 www Patented Jan.28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

invention relates to stokers for coal burners.

Y An object of the invention is the provision of a stoker including atransmission having a pair of eccentrics rotatably mounted and carryingpairs of gears which are shifted into meshing relation with alternatepairs of gears on another shaft.

\ Another object of the invention is the -provision of a stoker in whicha pair of worm conveyors are located at right angles to each other withone conveyor feeding fuel from a hopper to the other conveyor and withmeans for regulating at will the speed of the conveyor.

vA further object of the invention is the provision of a stoker for coalburners in which worm conveyors that deliver coal to the furnace areoperated at selective speeds which are most suitable for the purpose.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed descrip tion, in view of the accompanying drawingforming part of the specification; nevertheless, it is toV be understoodthat the invention is not conned to the disclosure, being susceptible ofsuch changes and modifications as define no material departure from thesalient features of the invention ras expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an automatic stoker and speedcontrolling device,

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 2-2 ofFigure 1,

lFigure 3 is a fragmentary front view in elevation of a stoker, A

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 4 4 ofFigure l, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 5-5 ofFigure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawin I0 designates a transmissioncasing to which connected a conveyor casing II while the numeral I2designates a screw conveyor casing which is in open communication at I3with the conveyor casing I I.

A screw conveyor, generally designated by the numeral I4, consists of ashaft I5and a spiral fin I6 lwhich moves the coal from a hopper (notshown) in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2 to theauxiliary casing I'I.

A screw conveyor, generally designated by the numeral |8,.includes a.shaft I9 and a. spirally arranged n 20.

A drive shaft 2| is provided with a pulley 22 55' Y' locatedexteriorlyof the` casing I!) and is driven by means of a belt from an electric,motor (not shown4 atfa predetermined speed. `The shaft 2| is providedwith a worm 23 intermediate its ends.

The shaft is mounted in bearings 24 and 25 formed in the side walls ofthe housing I0.

(Cl. 'f4-352) A shaft 36 is mounted in bearings 21 in the end walls ofthe housing I0 and has a worm wheel 28 in mesh with the worm 23 wherebythe shaft 26 is driven from the shaft 2|.

A pair of spaced gears 30 and 3| are keyed 5 to the shaft 26 and aretherefore revolved by the same.

A sleeve 32 is loose on the shaft 26 and is formed integrally with theworm gear 28. A pair of gears 33 and 34 located'at opposite sides of the10 worm gear 28 are also integrally formed with the sleeve so that thegears 28, 33 and 34 revolve as a unit freely on the shaft 26.

A shaft is mounted in bearings 4| formed on the end walls of the housingIll. This shaft 15 is adapted to be rocked for a purpose which will bepresently explained. It will be noted from Fig. 6 that this shaft isprovided with a pair of eccentrics 42 and 43 spaced from each other bycollars 44. 20

A gear 45 is mounted on the eccentric 43 as is a gear 46, thelast-mentioned gear being inte. grally connected with the gear 45. Acollar 41 naintains the gears 45 and 46 on the eccentric A gear isintegrally connected with a gear 5I and both gears are mounted upon theeccentric 42. A collar 52 maintains the gears 50 and 5| as a unit on theeccentric. While the gears 45 and 46 are integrally connected, as aregears 3Q 50 and Y5|, these gears may be made separately and connectedtogether in any approved manner.

A worm 55 is secured to a shaft 26 and this worm meshes with a Worm gear56 secured to. the driven shaft I5 of the conveyor I4. 35.

An auxiliary housing 56 is secured to the front wall of the housing I6and of the auxiliary casing A sprocket 58 is located in this auxiliaryhousing and is secured to the projecting end of the shaft 26. A chain 59is trained on the sprocket 40. 58 and also on a sprocket 60 which issecured to the conveyor shaft I9 where said shaft projects through thefront wall of the auxiliary casing 1.

A rock lever is keyed to a projecting end 66 45 of the shaft 46. Thelever is provided with a hand grip 61 adjacent its free end for rockingthe lever and likewise the shaft 40. A clip 68 acting as a stop isadapted to be engaged by the lever 65 when it is in its uppermostvertical posi- 50 tion. A second clip 69 acting as a stop engages thelever 65 when said lever is in its lowermost vertical position.

The operation of my device is as follows: Power is applied to the pulley22 by means of a belt 55 preferably driven by an electric motor at apredetermined speed. Since the pulley is secured to the shaft 2| theworm 23 is revolved which drives the intermeshing worm wheel 28 which isloose on shaft 26. 50

y AAs. shovvn iniFig. gear 33,1Which is loose on the shaft 26 Vand.connected-With the worm Wheel '128, meshes tfith gear 45 which is looseon the eccentric 1135 The gear 46 being connected to -the gear 45 is inmesh with the gear 3U and itV vWill be noted that gear 30 is keyed tothe shaft Ythe Vcasingu l i` from the hopper (not shown) into Y ceoppositelyV disposed'eccentrics thereon, a pair oficonnected gears oneach eccentric,V a pair' of spaced gears keyedto the drivenshaftLeachofY the last-mentioned gears being in'substafitially the same verticalplanervvithY one of the eccen- Vt'rically mountedV gears, a Worm gearVloosely 1 mounted on the driven shaft, gears on opposite fsidesjoftheworm gearV and connected thereto means for rotating theWormgeargthelast-mehtioned gears being in meshing alignment Vvvithoneeach of Vi'heotlier gears on the roei; shaft, meansV 46 so that aVpredetermined speed if/the'` shaft '26 is had. VThe shaft 26 is thusdriven at :low Y the similarly disposed gears onV the drive'nrshaftrspeed.- f I i. Thehshaft 26 revolves the sprocke.

58 y whichV in turn drives the chain 59 and the sprocket 6th Since -thelast-mentionedsprocket is directly connecte'dtothe shaft'l, the screwconveyor i8 is revolved in the same direction as the shaftlgandthesprocket. `f

Thescrew conveyor -iliv carries the coal through the', auxiliary casing`|`l and Ythisy coal is then j carried'by thescretv conveyor i8 throughthe YLScasingIZ to the'furfiace (not shown) i' As shown in Fig, lithergear 45 is in inesh vlith': thefgear 43 Vand thefgear i6 is inYrn'e'shY with the j gear. 36. Y The-other'pairs of gears upon the ope'Vposite'sides of the shaft'Zl are out of mesh. VVWhen/it is desired tochange the speed of the 'conveyor shafts I5` and I9 the lever E5 'isrocked bythe hand. grip 67 frorn the stop 'O1' clipy 68 to thestop orclip 69.r In view of the diametrically 'anclfpppo'sitely positioned`eccentrics i111.V and e3 .for actuating therock shaft so thata pair oftheY gears on 'thelshaftf will be'moved into meshwith while the other...pair of gears Von the rock shaft YWill'bey moved out of Vmesh tvithsimilarly disposed gears von theY driven shaftf In a Stoker for V'coalburners pair of gears secured to said shaft, aV rock shaft Vprovidedwith aV pairV of oppositely disposed eccentrics, a pair of connectedgears on'one eccentric Ydriven shaft, a pair lof connected gearson the Yfer actuatingtherock shaft for V inovinge'ne set`v of gears thereonawayfrom meshing relation withV Vgears' on tnerdrivenY shaftand formoving the l-the;rocking ofthe shaft l0 causes thefgears l55.

andll to beim'oved out oflmesh with the respective; gears 3.3 and 3G. Atthe same time, however.;'"gears E'sfand 5l arermoved Vinto meshing'loose on the'shaft. Y

Yrelation,respectivelyvvith the' gearsV 3Q andV 3l. .Y v- Thegshaftr26isnovv driven throughthe` revolving e .gear 34its intermeshing gear'arid since gear Y 5I is connected togear V5l?, the gear 5| transmits irotation `to its interineshing gear 3i; VThis gear e. is keyed to theshaft ZlivvherebyV said `shaft is revolved. Gears 34 and 50 being ofsubstantially Y the same diameter the speed'of'gear Ef'l Will thereforebe" of substantially thesame speed as 'gear 341 I-Iowever, thegear 3lis'larger Vthan the gear 35 so that the speed of shaft'z' will beslightly `under that of i the .shaft 2l'although the speed of thes'hafteZ atithis tinieisrV greater vthan it had been when thelever,ervvas in the position:

`-VS/'henfthe shaft n Y I y pairV of the gears 45 and iE on the`eccentric d3' finte meshing relation YWith,"arfixed gear on .the

' shown Fig. 3.

meshing with a fixed gear and a loose gear'on the other 4eccentricnormally out Vof mesh'with the other xed gear and the other loose gear,means gears on the other'eccentricinto meshing relationY means forrotating the connected gears which are In a stoker for coal burnersninywhich aro tary conveyor for the coal, vis operated at varying speeds bya driven shaft'means for varying thei speedof. the driven shaft andcomprising a Ysleeve Y Y Y4o f loose on the shaftrand provided witharpairoi. Y

spaced integrally formedgears,r a gear rateach` side of the sleeve'and`seuredto said shaft, aV rock shaft provided with spaced. eccentricsfapair I of connected gears on each eccentric,`imeans for g actuating therock shaft for causing oneecentrie Vto ifnoveritsV associated gears`intomeshing rela-rV tion Withra fixed gear'and argear onthesleeve whilemovingtheepair of gears on the other ec-f,r Y

centric ont of meshingrelation with VVthe' other j Y. i

' fixed gear and'gearconnected to the sleeve on thef driven shaft, andfmeans for. rotating thek sleeve.A

is'rocked it may Inove a Y driven shaft and agear connected tothe sleeveY While movingthe gearsvand' 5l on .the eccentrici 1112V outiof meshingrrelation with theasso'cifated gears f on the driven shaft." .On theother Y .'haridwhen the lever 65 is rockedto'a point Y 'intermediate thestops 68' andi69 all ofthe gears'v on the eccentrics Il?. and 435. willibe movedout" Y vbffmeshing relation VWith ,the :associated gears onthedriven shaft. Some'forrn ofstop means Well fkn'ownr'inthe art may beemployed forfretaining Y 'the lever 65 in Ythis:intermediateposition. Y.

@.Iclaim:y 'fu c ls'lnfa stoker for coal ,'burnersjin Whicha kro- Y'tary conveyor for the eraf andfcomrfising a rock-shaft 'a Reiff l Y Y 1I i v Y 4 coral is operated'byadriv'en"v f shaft, means for varying,vthespeed Yof the driven 4. In aestoker for coal burnersiin 4Which aro-Ytary conveyor'for thejcoal, is operatedat varying Vspeedsvby` a drivenshaft, Vmeans for varyingthe speed of the driven-'shaft and comprisingasleeve Y I. loose on said shaft and provided'with'spaced gears`connected to theA sleeve, Va Worm Wheel, letweenfV f saidgears vandconnected tothe sleeve,;a drive? shaft having a worm meshing withtheVworniV` Wheel, Va rock shaft provided Ywith spaced eccenl` Y trics,a pair .of connected gears onjea'ch eccentric i s agear on the. driven4shaftfjat each'side of theY Y Vsleeve and iixedto said shaft, means foroperatingY Y the rock shaftsand causing one eccentric tomove gother'gearon'the'sleeve;

65 thegears'thereonrint meshing relation with*Y one .v ofthe fixed gearsfon the driven shaftsandfa 'gearf securedto the sleeve 'WhileAkmovi/ng.the gearsoni` f

